ATLANTA, GA – Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin are leading a 23-state coalition in sending a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in support of a proposal that would allow States to use jamming technology to combat contraband cell phones in prisons and jails.  

“Inmates are using contraband cell phones to direct violent crimes, and innocent Georgians are losing their lives,” said Carr. “We fought the Biden administration on this very issue for years, and we’ve prosecuted the violent gangs that are operating in our prisons. Our efforts to combat this public safety crisis are unwavering, and we’re grateful to finally have a partner in the White House who’s willing to work with us to protect the people of our state.”

Current FCC policy prohibits the use of jamming equipment, even in highly controlled environments like correctional institutions. This blanket restriction fails to account for the unique security needs of these facilities and relies on a decades-old statute that was enacted long before contraband cell phones were an issue. Today, inmates routinely use smuggled phones to conduct violent crimes and scams, including murder, child sexual exploitation, drug trafficking, kidnapping, aggravated battery of law enforcement officers, money laundering, wire fraud, and identity theft. 

  • In Tattnall County, an incarcerated leader of the infamous street gang, “Yves Saint Laurent Squad,” used a contraband cell phone to order a hit, which resulted in the death of an 88-year-old Georgia veteran. 
  • In Atlanta, two 13-year-old boys were killed in a drive-by shooting that was ordered by an incarcerated gang leader in a Georgia state prison.  
  • In Macon, inmates learned they could defeat the prison’s Wireless Containment System by dialing 911. Using contraband cell phones, they were able to successfully overwhelm and shut down the entire 911 center, which is part of the largest 911 system in the state and encompasses 13 Georgia counties. 

These activities compromise the safety of correctional staff, other inmates, and the public at large. In 2024, the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) seized and processed over 15,500 cell phones and more than 150 drones. 

This new proposal, filed by the FCC on Sept. 30, makes clear that while the jamming of authorized radio transmissions is not permitted, signals from illegal mobile devices smuggled into prisons are prohibited and thus can be actively blocked by FCC-approved devices. 

Joining Carr and Griffin in sending this letter are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. 

Find a copy of the letter Download this pdf file. here . 

Previous AG Actions  

  • In June 2024, Carr sent a letter urging the FCC to allow for states to use cell phone jamming devices in prisons and jails. In that same letter, he notes that the federal U.S. Bureau of Prisons has already recognized the value of cell phone jammers and permitted several federal penitentiaries, including at least one in Georgia, to use such devices. However, the Biden administration denied this request. 
  • In December 2024, Carr filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking all documentation related to the FCC’s response to his June 2024 letter and information regarding the use of cell phone jamming devices at select federal prisons. 
  • In February 2025, Carr met with President Trump’s FCC in D.C. to discuss the urgency of this issue. 
  • In March 2025, Carr led a bipartisan coalition of 31 attorneys general in urging Congress to pass H.R. 2350 and S. 1137, federal legislation that allows states to deploy cell phone jamming technology in prisons and jails. He also took action to support similar legislation in January 2023  and December 2024. 
  • In September 2025, Carr sent a letter backing the FCC’s notice of proposed rulemaking that would allow state and local law enforcement to use jamming technology to combat contraband cell phones in prisons and jails.  
  • In November 2025, Carr announced the convictions of 16 members of the 1-8 Trey Gangster Bloods in Barrow County following a large-scale investigation into violent crimes, drug trafficking, and gang recruitment as directed from inside and outside of prison. Among those convicted was Jamar Ramsay, the statewide leader of 1-8 Trey who is currently serving a life sentence at Hays State Prison in Georgia for a previous murder charge. While incarcerated, Ramsay directed other defendants to engage in criminal activity to further the 1-8 Trey enterprise. Ramsay, along with other defendants, also engaged in electronic communication regarding the recruitment of children into the gang and the packaging, shipping, sale, and distribution of controlled substances, cell phones, and other contraband items into a state correctional facility.